Loricella eernissei Sirenko 2008

• Main Author: Sirenko, Boris
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2021
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Taxonomy; Animalia; Mollusca; Polyplacophora; Chitonida; Loricidae; Loricella; Loricella eernissei; New Zealand; North Cape
• Online Access: https://zenodo.org/record/4923622; https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4923622

Loricella eernissei Sirenko, 2008 (Figs. 14–16) Loricella eernissei Sirenko 2008: 64, figs. 114–141. Type material. Holotype (MNHN-IM-2000-20250) and 7 paratypes (MNHN-IM-2000-20251- 20253), 1 paratype (ZISP). Type locality. Loyalty Ridge, 24°44’S, 170°08’E, 770–830 m. Material examined. New Zealand, North Island, ENEof North Cape, Cavalliseamount, RV Kaharoa, 34°7.20’S, 174°5.60’E, 540–554 m, 1 spm (NMNZ M.319766), BL 22.0 mm, 16.04.2002. Distribution. New Caledonia, Loyalty Ridge (760–770m: Sirenko 2008), New Zealand, North Island (540– 554: this study) Remarks. The studied specimen (NMNZ M.319766) from New Zealand is similar to the type specimens in shape and the sculpture of the valves. All valves of this specimen were damaged in the same way as most of the type specimens from New Caledonia (Sirenko 2008), which indicates a significant fragility of the shell in this species. The specimen has a slit formula of 14/1(rare 2)/sinus + 7 obsolete, one intermediate valve with two slits, 27 gills in each side extending from valve III to valve VIII, and nephridiopore and gonopore arranged between 4–5 and 6–7 gills accordingly counted from the last one. Loricella eernissei differs markedly from the other species of the genus by having white and very fragile valves, and a smooth dorsal surface of the valves. Published as part of Sirenko, Boris, 2021, Composition of the genus Loricella (Mollusca: Polyplacophora: Loricidae) and the description of two new species, pp. 275-300 in Zootaxa 4981 (2) on pages 287-288, DOI:10.11646/zootaxa.4981.2.4, http://zenodo.org/record/5045888